ETF Investors Pull Back From Bitcoin and Ether as Altcoin Funds Buck Trend
US spot Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded funds (ETFs) opened 2026 under pressure, with investors pulling nearly $750 million from the two largest crypto-linked ETF categories during the first full trading week of the year.
Key Takeaways:
Bitcoin and Ether ETFs saw nearly $750 million in outflows during the first full week of 2026. Bitcoin funds led the decline despite a strong inflow at the start of the week. XRP and Solana ETFs bucked the trend, attracting fresh capital as investors rotated into altcoin funds.At the same time, newer funds tied to XRP and Solana moved in the opposite direction, drawing fresh capital and posting stronger trading activity.
Bitcoin and Ether ETFs See $750M Outflows Despite Strong Week Start
Data from SoSoValue shows spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs recorded combined net outflows of $749.6 million between January 6 and January 9.
Bitcoin funds accounted for the bulk of the decline, shedding $681 million after four straight days of redemptions.
The slide came despite a strong start to the week, when Bitcoin ETFs attracted nearly $700 million in inflows on January 5, the only positive session during the period.
Selling pressure intensified midweek. Outflows on January 7 alone reached $486.1 million, marking the largest single-day drawdown of the week.
BlackRock’s IBIT, the largest spot Bitcoin ETF by assets, saw $252 million exit on January 9.
Bitwise’s BITB posted smaller losses, while Fidelity’s FBTC stood out as an exception, recording modest inflows on the same day.
Despite the pullback, spot Bitcoin ETFs remain a major force in the market. The 12 approved funds now hold roughly $116.9 billion in net assets, equivalent to about 6.5% of Bitcoin’s total market capitalization.
Since their launch in January 2024, cumulative net inflows still exceed $56 billion.
Spot Ether ETFs followed a similar pattern, though on a smaller scale. The group ended the week with $68.6 million in net outflows after strong inflows earlier in the period were reversed by heavy selling over the final three trading days.
BlackRock’s ETHA led outflows, followed by Grayscale’s ETHE. The nine Ether ETFs currently manage $18.7 billion in assets, representing just over 5% of Ether’s market value.
XRP ETFs Buck Market Pullback With Record Volume and Fresh Inflows
While investors trimmed exposure to the two largest cryptocurrencies, appetite for altcoin-linked ETFs showed signs of growth.
Spot XRP ETFsrecorded $38.1 million in net inflows during the week and reached their highest weekly trading volume since launch at $219 million.
The surge points to rising institutional engagement as the products gain traction following their debut in late 2025.
Canary Capital’s XRPC remains the largest XRP fund by assets, followed closely by offerings from Bitwise and Franklin Templeton.
Collectively, XRP ETFs have accumulated more than $1.2 billion in net inflows, with total assets approaching $1.5 billion.
Solana ETFs also attracted fresh capital, taking in $41.1 million over the same period.
Bitwise’s BSOL continues to dominate the category, holding a commanding lead over rival products as investors selectively rotate into alternative crypto exposures.
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